Gulf Maritime Safety: Record Attacks Force Saudi Interceptions
Twelve incidents mark the worst month for shipping since 2017, as Saudi forces destroy incoming missiles and drones while Iran claims two supertankers were mined.
By Samir Doyle ·
Residents of Riyadh, Najran, and Wadi al-Dawasir received warnings from Saudi Arabia's Directorate of Civil Defence on Friday, urging them to follow safety instructions due to potential threats. Minutes later, officials declared the danger had passed in those three areas. The alerts followed an announcement by the Saudi-led coalition that its forces had intercepted and destroyed one ballistic missile and one drone fired toward the kingdom.
At sea, the conflict intensified with new attacks on commercial vessels. The navy of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps stated that two supertankers struck naval mines while attempting to travel south of the Strait of Hormuz via an unauthorized route. Separately, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations reported that a tanker was hit by an unknown projectile seven nautical miles off the Omani coast.
Data from a Washington-based think tank that has tracked maritime security incidents globally since 2017 indicates that October has become the worst month on record for attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and nearby waters. This marks a peak in losses for Gulf shipping this month.
Political rhetoric between the United States and Iran sharpened over the weekend. US President Donald Trump told a rally in Florida that Washington might launch another military operation against Iran. In response, Major General Abdollahi, Iran's armed forces chief of staff, stated that under no circumstances will they allow rusting US warships to re-enter the Persian Gulf. Mohammed Mokhber, an adviser to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, described the threats from Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as betraying desperation rather than power.
Diplomatic movements continue alongside the military actions. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is scheduled to travel to Moscow next week. He is expected to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin and participate in the Gas Exporting Countries Forum summit on October 27. In London, Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said Britain is redoubling efforts to find diplomatic solutions, noting the conflict is driving up bills for families in Britain.
Tensions also manifested on land in the occupied West Bank. Israeli forces ordered Palestinian residents of Hebron to leave their homes on foot and demolished several buildings near the location where two Israeli soldiers were shot dead. Troops detained dozens of people during raids across the territory.
In Syria, protest rallies occurred on Friday against repeated Israeli incursions in the country's south. These demonstrations followed an incursion earlier in the week that killed a man with a disability. Meanwhile, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan indicated that the time had come to reunify Libya's rival eastern and western administrations, hinting at an announcement in the near future.
